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Line 2851 - Commentary Note (CN)

Commentary notes (CN):

1. SMALL CAPS Indicate editions. Notes for each commentator are divided into three parts:

In the 1st two lines of a record, when the name of the source text (the siglum) is printed in SMALL CAPS, the comment comes from an EDITION; when it is in normal font, it is derived from a book, article, ms. record or other source. We occasionally use small caps for ms. sources and for works related to editions. See bibliographies for complete information (in process).

2. How comments are related to predecessors' comments. In the second line of a record, a label "without attribution" indicates that a prior writer made the same or a similar point; such similarities do not usually indicate plagiarism because many writers do not, as a practice, indicate the sources of their glosses. We provide the designation ("standard") to indicate a gloss in common use. We use ≈ for "equivalent to" and = for "exactly alike."

3. Original comment. When the second line is blank after the writer's siglum, we are signaling that we have not seen that writer's gloss prior to that date. We welcome correction on this point.

4. Words from the play under discussion (lemmata). In the third line or lines of a record, the lemmata after the TLN (Through Line Number] are from Q2. When the difference between Q2 and the authors' lemma(ta) is significant, we include the writer's lemma(ta). When the gloss is for a whole line or lines, only the line number(s) appear. Through Line Numbers are numbers straight through a play and include stage directions. Most modern editions still use the system of starting line numbers afresh for every scene and do not assign line numbers to stage directions.

5. Bibliographic information. In the third line of the record, where we record the gloss, we provide concise bibliographic information, expanded in the bibliographies, several of which are in process.

6. References to other lines or other works. For a writer's reference to a passage elsewhere in Ham. we provide, in brackets, Through Line Numbers (TLN) from the Norton F1 (used by permission); we call these xref, i.e., cross references. We call references to Shakespearean plays other than Ham. “parallels” (//) and indicate Riverside act, scene and line number as well as TLN. We call references to non-Shakespearean works “analogues.”

7. Further information: See the Introduction for explanations of other abbreviations. Click here for more information about browsing the entries and here for more information about the special symbols used in Hamletworks. Click the question mark icon above to remove this help message.

Notes for lines 2023-2950 ed. Frank N. Clary

For explanation of sigla, such as jen, see the editions bib.

2851 <Noise within.> Enter Laertes {with others}.	1.2.103

1825 European Magazine

"Gunthio" pseudonym

2851 Enter Laertes with others] "Gunthio" (1825, p. 345): Q1 “is sometimes preferable for its very want of passages, which (not to speak it profanely,) appear to have been added somewhat injudiciously. I will only cite as an example the insurrection in favour of Laertes,—an absurd incident, introduced without necessity, and producing no result. In the old play we find nothing of it; the stage-direction merely says, ’A noyse within; enter Leartes’ [Q1CLN 1724].”

Ed. note: Gunthio at times is the first to comment on a theatrical aspect of the play; he "corrects" the original in quoting it, here changing Q1’s period to a semi-colon. He points out that Q1 spells the name Leartes throughout.

1854 del2

del2

2851 Enter Laertes with others] Delius (ed. 1854): “Danes following und they retire without the door sind moderne Bühnenweisungen. Auf dem Theater Sh.’s, scheint es, blieben die Anhänger des Laertes draussen.” [Danes following and they retire without the door are modern stage directions. In Shakespeare’s theater it appears that the followers of Laertes remained outside.]

1872 del4

del4 ≈ del2

1882 elze2

elze2

2851 Enter Laertes with others] Elze (ed. 1882): “The agreement of Q1 and F1 would be decisive, if the very words of the text (Sirs, stand you &c.) did not speak in favor of Q2.”

1885 macd

macd

2851 MacDonald (ed. 1885): “Now at length re-appears Laertes, who has during the interim been ripening in Paris for villainy. He is wanted for the catastrophe, and requires but the last process of a few hours in the hell-oven of a king’s instigation.”

1930 Knight

Knight

2851 Knight (1930, p. 40): “When Laertes enters, Claudius rouses our admiration by his cool reception of him [quotes 2865-72].”

1982 ard2

ard2

2851 Jenkins (ed. 1982): SD with Followers] “Although these are kept off stage by F and Q1, perhaps for practical reasons of cast, the Q2 direction together with the dialogue suggests that they were meant to be seen erupting into the presence.”